attaching ramsinks to a waterblock

[twist3d0n3]

hi all, really silly question i'm sure, but would this give any improvement whatsoever?

i've got some copper ramsinks sitting here doing nothing and thought it might be a good idea, and being copper as well as the heatkiller, wouldn't ruin the aesthetics too much.

good idea or guff?

cheers

 

[pat_c]

Probably someone will write about thermodynamics and delta T and the airflow over those ramsinks. Bottom line, a few ramsinks on a waterblock are too small to make a difference, a water radiator has several magnitudes of more surface area to dissipate heat with.

 

[JonJ678]

It'll help a bit. The issue is that the waterblock itself doesn't get very hot, it'll be perhaps five degrees over ambient, and heatsinks work much better when hot (almost linear with temperature). I don't know what the degrees c per watt rating of the heatsinks will be, but from a competitor, for the swiftech ramsinks:

Test conditions
5 W heat load
25°C ambient
Junction
temperature
76.8°C 70.3°C

It looks like it's around 9 centigrade per watt. So making all kinds of suspicious linear approximations, you'd be looking at half a watt per heatsink. Up to you whether you think this is worthwhile, it'll be hard to measure a difference. If there's reasonable airflow over the socket then sure, go for it. If the air over the socket is near stationary then I wouldn't bother.

 

[shadowscotland]

If you put them on the non water routed bits (aka significanly hotter) it might just be worth it.

 

[Bubo]

If you put the ram sinks on your HK water block what will happen is you may knock 0.001°C off your cpu temp and you will have made your block look a bit like a hedgehog. If it was me I wouldn't bother.

 

[twist3d0n3]

It'll help a bit. The issue is that the waterblock itself doesn't get very hot, it'll be perhaps five degrees over ambient, and heatsinks work much better when hot (almost linear with temperature). I don't know what the degrees c per watt rating of the heatsinks will be, but from a competitor, for the swiftech ramsinks:


It looks like it's around 9 centigrade per watt. So making all kinds of suspicious linear approximations, you'd be looking at half a watt per heatsink. Up to you whether you think this is worthwhile, it'll be hard to measure a difference. If there's reasonable airflow over the socket then sure, go for it. If the air over the socket is near stationary then I wouldn't bother.

that's interesting to see it being roughly 9oC/watt, although as my airflow over the socket is rather restricted due to the ram/ram cooler, it probably wouldn't make a scrap of difference.

If you put them on the non water routed bits (aka significanly hotter) it might just be worth it.

i haven't taken the block apart as of yet (it's pretty new) so not too sure where the water channels are. i'd resume it covers the die area?

 

[shadowscotland]

google images is your friend - but if you have no free air flowing around the card it's pointless other that heghog bling.

MM the ram sinks - the copper swiftech/enzotech ones sell for good money

 

[twist3d0n3]

so essentially if i could improve the airflow around the socket, then possibly stick some ramsinks around the edge, about 3-5mm in?

i'm going to be installing a 5870 this weekend, so i'm going to pull my loops out and rebuild. i'll see if i can get any improvements in temps and take a few snaps

edit: awww i don't want to get rid of the enzo's, they're awesome ramsinks!

 

[Bubo]

Your first job is going to be getting that o ring back on right, looks like it will be a fiddly job. If you're talking about putting the sinks o the side of the block make use they don't interfere with anything on the mobo first. But, I must say I will be flabergasted if this makes any provavble difference to your temps whatsoever. What is that central plate in the block made of by the way, looks suspiciously like steel.

 

[twist3d0n3]

i haven't opened up my block btw, that's just a pic i found on another site - so no o-ring difficulties

i looked inside the holes on mine when it arrived, and it looks like its made out of whatever the hold down plate is made of... couldn't tell you tho

worth a try i think, you never know - even if it took 1-2oC off load temps i'd consider it a success

 

[shadowscotland]

I thought you were taking about a GPU block... would think it's completely pointless on a cpu block - they don't get hot
Use the enzo (I have them too) on the other hot chips on your mobo.
w3bbo 'tiger' project and the thermal images of a mobo will help.

They also work well on the side of ram sticks

 

[twist3d0n3]

interesting, thanks shadow. i'll have a look at w3bbo's project. i think this would probably be more of a productive venture than mounting them on the cpu block. i didn't even consider the gpu block; just fit a 5870 with full cover block last night, and i must say it doesn't get warm at all! gpu temps maxed out at 41oC in a 24oC ambient (yeah it was warm in my room last night!)